In recent crypto news, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has requested a 20-year prison sentence for Alex Mashinsky, the co-founder of the now-defunct Celsius lending platform, due to his involvement in a multibillion-dollar fraud that left customers unable to access $4.7 billion in crypto assets. The DOJ highlighted that Mashinsky profited significantly from his fraudulent activities. Meanwhile, the DeFi Education Fund has petitioned President Trump to halt what they deem the unjust prosecution of crypto developers, specifically mentioning Roman Storm, who faces charges for allegedly laundering over $1 billion through Tornado Cash. They argue that holding software developers liable for code misuse could stifle crypto innovation. Additionally, Arizona legislators have passed two bills permitting the state to invest in a cryptocurrency reserve, starting with Bitcoin, seeking to keep pace with similar legislative movements in other states. This indicates a growing acceptance of cryptocurrency at the state level amidst rising regulatory scrutiny.

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